Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: Organizers wanted to ensure the Red Cloud Indian School's weekly farmers market was welcoming to elders. The Pine Ridge Reservation is a food desert, but the market offers residents access to fresh produce, as well as ingredients for traditional foods, teas and medicines. To attract older adults to the market, they launched Elder Hours, which feature traditional cooking demonstrations and other educational offerings. They also added wayfinding signage to help elders navigate to parking spaces and seating near vendors, which market organizers specifically set aside for older adults. To help people transport their purchases, Red Cloud purchased branded tote bags, which they distribute to elders who visit the market. Project organizers hope the outreach efforts help decrease longstanding health disparities among tribal members.

Pine Ridge, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: To increase tribal elders' access to locally-grown food, this project will host a weekly farmers market featuring traditional foods that students will grow, harvest and prepare.

Fairbanks, AK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: This project will provide pots, soil and plants to older adults, allowing them to grow produce at their homes. The food bank will then share produce grown with local families in need.